SAS Plus Review: Worth It to Europe in Premium Economy?

SAS Plus seems like the budget traveler’s secret to a premium economy seat on a direct flight to Europe. The question is whether it holds up once you’re actually on board for the long haul. We flew from Washington Dulles to Copenhagen on the A350-900 to find out. This is our honest review of the seat, food, and service, and the thing about lounge access that recently changed. There’s also an affordable upgrade trick that can land you a lie-flat seat in business class if you know where to look.

🔎 SAS Plus at a Glance

Best for: A direct premium seat to Europe when other airlines cost too much
Seat comfort: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
Food quality: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
Drink service: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
Value for money: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What we paid: $1,530 each from Dulles to Copenhagen on the A350-900, including a round-trip from Copenhagen on to Mallorca in intra-European business class, and advance seat selection on all flights.
Verdict: Worth it for price, especially with super high fares these days, if a Copenhagen layover works for you. But there are a few caveats noted below.
✈️ Should You Fly SAS to Europe? What to Know First

💰 Why We Book SAS Plus: The Price

The price is the main reason we keep coming back to SAS Plus instead of other premium economy products. On this trip we paid $1,530 each from Dulles to Copenhagen on the A350-900, and that fare included seat selection plus the round-trip legs from Copenhagen to Mallorca in intra-Europe business class (which is just economy with the middle seat blocked, but still a step up).

We’ve also flown SAS Plus from Dulles to Copenhagen for as little as $900 round trip when we weren’t adding a connection. Either way, you’re getting a direct premium seat to Europe for a fare that’s hard to beat.

Our usual strategy is finding the cheapest direct flight to a European hub and then booking a separate budget airline to reach our ultimate destination. But that budget leg typically means being cramped into a tight seat and paying more for any extra comfort. It’s still a good strategy, but we can often skip that with SAS. The connecting legs are in premium economy or business class, depending on the flight, and it’s all priced on one itinerary.

Then there’s the lie-flat upgrade strategy:

On the long-haul legs, we’ve won bids on SAS to move up to business class for less than $400 per person each way. We’re happy in premium economy, so we treat the upgrade as a bonus, but it’s nice when it happens. If we’re lucky, we can fly round trip business-class to Copenhagen from DC for $1800 or less after winning an upgrade bid. That’s a steal when it works. If you want to know more, here’s how the SAS bidding process works.

Luxe-for-Less Tip

Don’t buy SAS Plus hoping to upgrade. Book SAS premium economy because the cash price is good, then treat a cheap business upgrade as the cherry on top. The strategy only works when you’d be happy either way.

We’ll take the SAS business class upgrade when we can get it

📊 SAS Plus vs SAS Economy vs US Premium Economy

We’ve flown premium economy long-haul on seven airlines now, so here’s where SAS Plus ranks. It’s a real step up from economy and a minor step below what United or American offer. The fare, however, is usually what motivates us to book SAS Plus.

	SAS Economy	SAS Plus	US Carrier PE
Seat width	17.5″	19″	19″
Pitch	31-32″	38″	38″
Recline	5″	8 inches	5-7″
Layout (A350)	3-3-3	2-4-2	2-3-2 or 2-4-2
Drink service	Buy on board	With dinner	Full service
Feel	Tight for a long flight but more recline than most	Comfortable, less polished, but more recline	More premium polish, but less recline

You can see the big difference here between SAS Plus and Economy

💺 The SAS Plus Seat on the A350

The premium economy cabin on the A350 holds just 32 seats in a 2-4-2 layout, with a 38-inch pitch, 19-inch width, and 8-inch recline. The screen is large, every seat has power and USB, and the front row gets leg rests while the rest get footrests. It felt contained but a little less premium than United or American. Notably, however, SAS has a better recline than the major US carriers in premium economy and regular economy. So if that’s really important to you, this might even be your favorite pick.

We always go for row 22. The 2-4-2 layout means the two of us can take the pair of seats on the side and never climb over a stranger. Row 22 keeps you clear of the galley and the bulkhead too. If you’re a couple, that side pair is the best to grab. Always check SeatMaps before selecting your seat.

Seat Selection Note: You do have to pay extra for advance seat selection, which was $42 per long-haul seat and $18 per intra-Europe seat. That’s included in the $1,530 total roundtrip fare per person, but it’s important to factor that in when you’re searching deals.

Here’s a cozier 2-3-2 SAS Plus option on the A330-300 but the cabin is much longer with 56 vs. 32 PE seats

🌬️ Pack a Small USB Fan

The cabin gets hot. This is a flight essential I won’t board a long-haul without now. A little fan that powers off the seat’s USB port can make a huge comfort difference for $8.

👉 What to Pack in Your Personal Item for Flying: 10 Flight Essentials I Never Skip

🍽️ SAS Plus Food and Drink: The Honest Verdict

The food is fine. It’s a small step up from American or United in premium economy but not as good as Lufthansa premium economy. You won’t go hungry, but you also won’t be texting photos of your amazing meal to anyone.

The wine was limited to dinner service. They poured one glass with dinner and offered one refill, and after that the service stopped for the rest of the flight. We’re not complaining, we just want you to know going in. If you like another glass on a long flight, this isn’t the cabin crew that’s going to bring it to you. On other airlines we’ve had another service following the main meal time.

Before landing, they did served a lighter cold plate with roast beef, a broccoli and corn salad, an egg salad, and a bread roll. It was good enough, and on par with the dinner service, but we preferred to save our appetite for local cuisine.

🛏 SAS Plus Amenities: Pillow, Blanket, and Kit

SAS gives you a pillow, a blanket, headphones, and a small amenity kit in premium economy. The pillow and blanket are good, standard premium economy quality, nothing plush but enough to get comfortable on an overnight leg and better than economy. The headphones are the basic plug-in kind for the seatback screen. Bring your own if you’re picky about sound.

The amenity kit is always a nice touch for premium economy. It’s basic, but we appreciated it.

This one included an eyeshade, earplugs, and a toothbrush with toothpaste in a drawstring shoe bag. It’s not a designer kit, but the essentials for sleeping and freshening up before landing are all there.

🍷 SAS Plus Lounge Access: What Recently Changed

Here’s the part that caught us off-guard, because it’s new. SAS Plus no longer includes lounge access for premium economy on the long-haul legs. That used to be a great selling point, since most airlines do not include it, but it’s gone now. We understand that overcrowding is an issue, and we have Priority Pass alternatives at IAD and CPH.

The good news is you do still get a lounge on the European portion. If you can get into the SAS lounge at Copenhagen, you should definitely do it. The food spread is better than the Priority Pass lounge, there are showers, and it’s a clear notch above. Both offer self-serve wine, beer, and liquor, which is nice since the onboard service is limited.

Points Tip: The SAS lounge at Copenhagen is on the Schengen side but accessible to international travelers before immigration. The Priority Pass lounge is after immigration, so we’ve gone to both when we’ve had longer layovers.

📈 Is SAS Plus Worth It?

Yes. Two things stand out: the price and the seat recline. The seat is comfortable, the connection comes with some premium perks, and the cash price often beats the US airlines by far. With fares as high as they’ve been lately, a $900 to $1,500 round trip is a deal we’ll take every time.

SAS Plus doesn’t feel as premium as the legacy US carriers. The cabin quality and design, the service touches, and the polish are all a small step behind what American and United provide. We have not flown Delta premium economy, so we can’t compare (it’s usually way more expensive and still has less recline).

An important note: Only book this if a Copenhagen layover works for your trip. We happen to love the city, so a long stop is a bonus for us. We highly recommend adding some time in Copenhagen. Here’s how to see Copenhagen in a day without spending a fortune, plus our favorite Copenhagen food tour for your stopover.

LiAnn and Theo wearing sunglasses at Nyhavn harbor in Copenhagen. — Nyhavn harbor in Copenhagen, Denmark

SAS Plus FAQ

Is SAS Plus the Same as Premium Economy?

On long-haul flights, yes. SAS Plus is Scandinavian Airlines’ premium economy product to North America and Asia, with a wider 2-4-2 seat, more legroom, and a bigger screen. On short European flights the seat is the same width as economy, and you’re paying for perks like a meal, fast track, and priority boarding rather than a bigger seat.

Is SAS Plus Worth It?

As a cash fare, yes. We paid $1,530 each from Dulles to Copenhagen on the A350-900, with seat selection and the round-trip Copenhagen to Mallorca legs in business class included. We’ve also flown the Dulles to Copenhagen route alone for as little as $900 round trip. The comfort and premium feel are a step below US carrier premium economy, but the price for those airlines can be double or even more.

Does SAS Plus Include Lounge Access?

Not on long-haul anymore. SAS removed it from the transatlantic legs. You still get a lounge on the European portion, and Priority Pass will get you into a lounge in the international area at Copenhagen. The SAS lounge at Copenhagen, however, is the best option if you can get in.

Modern airport lounge with seating and panoramic city view. — The Priority Pass lounge at CPH

Can You Upgrade SAS Plus to Lie-Flat Business Class?

Yes, through SAS’s bidding process, and we’ve had winning bids under $400 per person on the long-haul legs. We book premium economy happy to stay in it, then treat a cheap upgrade as a special bonus if we get it.

What’s the Best Seat in SAS Plus on the A350?

We always pick row 22. The cabin is 2-4-2, so a couple can take the two-seat side and skip climbing over anyone. Row 22 also keeps you away from the galley and bulkhead.